Fri | Mar. 16, 2018 | 8:00 AM

AS the imposing three-storey building was undergoing construction at the sprawling grounds of Dumaguete City High School (DCHS) last year, Grade 12 student Jessa Trio could not help but compare it to her lofty dreams despite a life of destitution.

Siaton town mayor Cezanne Fritz Diaz (third from left) and PAGCOR Senior Manager for Special Projects Unit Maria Eliza Cruz (fourth from left) lead the turnover of the symbolic key to Paciente Cesar G. Cabrera High School, represented by its Principal, Reynaldo Silva (second from right).

Students of Dumaguete City High School render a dance presentation during the formal inauguration and turnover of a three-storey, 18-classroom building donated by PAGCOR.

Working as an all-around house help to be able to support her schooling, Jessa’s determination to rise from poverty is stoked each time she passed by the building that would later house Senior High School classes in the 50-year-old public learning institution in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

“Tuwa at pag-asa po ang nararamdaman ko tuwing makikita ko yung itinatayong bagong building dahil tulad po siya ng mga pangarap kong mataas at unti-unting nagkakaroon ng hugis,” said Jessa, who lived in an orphanage for 12 years before moving to Dumaguete City to continue her education.

The new 18-classroom building that has since been Jessa’s source of hope and inspiration was inaugurated and formally turned over by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to DCHS.

DCHS Principal Eleuteria Abiquibil said the new school building would help decongest some of their overcrowded classes that are being held at their old Marcos-type classrooms.

She added that despite having a student population of 2,625, DCHS only has 44 functional classrooms for 54 sections that some of their classes are being held outdoors. The school holds classes in three shifts (morning, afternoon and evening) due to the inadequacy of learning venues.

“With this timely donation of a new school building from PAGCOR, most of our students will no longer endure holding classes in overcrowded classrooms. They can now learn comfortably,” Abiquibil enthused.

Apart from DCHS, other public schools in Negros Oriental that received brand new classrooms were Paciente Cesar G. Cabrera High School and Zamboanguita Science High School. Both schools received a one-storey, two-classroom building from PAGCOR.

As of December 31, 2017, 6,000 classrooms were completed in 894 sites nationwide, while the construction of 928 school buildings in 105 sites are still ongoing.

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